Emergency responders can now alert people who are nearby a patient going into cardiac arrest to send help to those patients while the ambulance is on its way.
The app, PulsePoint, funded by a nonprofit called the PulsePoint Foundation, uses a network of smartphones connected to a dispatch service to alert other users when someone nearby is going into cardiac arrest. An alert goes to the user's smartphone, informing them of where the patient is and how they can help. The individual can then go to the location of the patient, performing basic CPR until emergency services arrive.
Currently, only one-third of sudden cardiac arrest patients receive bystander CPR, according to PulsePoint. Approximately 8 percent of these patients survive.
The app is integrated into the 9-1-1 systems of participating cities, which include major metropolitan areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Dallas. Approximately 1,100 cities currently participate, and Cleveland Clinic joined the program in 2014, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The app is available for free in the iTunes store and from Google Play.